Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

Formerly The DIY Bungalow

  • Home
  • About
    • About Karen & the Blog
    • Thirty Days of Gratitude
    • Habitat for Humanity ReStore Workshops
    • Stories from the Bungalow
    • Dogs Who Don’t Eat Pizza
      • Bear, the Original Dog Who Didn’t Eat Pizza
      • Hank Dog
      • Elvis Parsley
  • Project Index
    • DIY
    • Decorating
    • Shopping Tips
    • Repurposing and Upcycling
    • Paint and Color
    • Organizing
    • Cleaning
    • Recipes
    • Gardening
    • Holidays & Seasonal
    • Friday Five
  • Home Tour
    • The 1929 House
    • The First House
    • Room Reveals
  • Advertising
    • Disclosure and Privacy Policy
    • Advertising
  • Media
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Quick Room Updates / Replacing Shutters with Curtains

Replacing Shutters with Curtains

June 8, 2019 By Karen Cooper 18 Comments

One project I’ve been thinking about for a while was replacing our plantation-style shutters in the living room with curtains.

finished left view - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

The shutters came with the house when we bought it ten years ago.

living room finished - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

Living Room as of September

At first, I liked them, but, when the dining room shutters broke and we replaced them with curtains, I saw how much light came in the windows when the shutters weren’t blocking them.

finished dining room kitchen view - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

So, I decided it was time to remove the shutters in the living room, too. I bought these curtains at Ikea, because I didn’t want a pattern or anything bold – just something simple.

merete-curtains--pair__74221_PE190980_S4I bought a plain curtain rod at Ikea as well.

First step: I removed the shutters. This wasn’t hard; it just involved removing all the screws from the shutters and the frames.

before with shutters - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

You can see the first panel is off the far window already. Then I remembered to take a “before” pic. Whew.

My daughter went behind me and cleaned the windows. She asked to do this – no violation of child labor laws here.

I couldn’t believe how much light was streaming in! (Cue angels singing!)

let there be light - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

Next, it was time to hang the curtains. I have no idea why, but curtain rod installation stumps me every. single. time. I can unclog a toilet, I can use power tools, but I have the hardest time hanging curtain rods. Grrr.

Anyway, once the rod was installed (into studs – if you do this, make sure you are installing into a stud or use wall anchors, m’kay?), I put the curtains on and stood back to admire the sunlight and my work.

finished with curtains - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

You can see Bear likes the light, too. Actually, since I put the curtains up, she’s usually right at the window. Looking out the window is like Doggie TV.

finished right side - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

You can also see we haven’t really cleaned up the toys from Christmas morning yet. Oh well.

finished left view - Dogs Don't Eat Pizza

I love the sunlight and I love the lightness of the curtains, versus the heavy, almost bars-on-the-window-looking shutters. I’m going to put the same curtains on the two windows on the wall opposite this window, too.

Let there be light!

 

You might also like:

  • Five Things I Always Buy at IKEA
    Five Things I Always Buy at IKEA
  • Celebrating Two Years
    Celebrating Two Years
  • Turn Old Shutters Into a Privacy Screen
    Turn Old Shutters Into a Privacy Screen

Filed Under: DIY, Quick Room Updates 18 Comments

About Karen Cooper

Hi! I'm Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer” - I traded in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY adventures. Join me for DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organizing projects and tips as I transform a 1929 Tudor bungalow into our home. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.

« How to Clean a Screened Porch in Five Steps
Turn Old Shutters Into a Privacy Screen »




Comments

  1. Anne@DesignDreams says

    December 27, 2013 at 7:53 pm

    OK I am SUPER ENVIOUS 1- of all the greenery outside that window 2 – that you have shutters to play with 3-that you have white curtains… from Ikea… sigh I’m going back to bed now!

    Great job Karen!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 27, 2013 at 10:18 pm

      Thanks, Anne! We had/have shutters a go-go in this house. The ones in the dining room were broken when we moved in; these were in better shape. Still, I love the airiness of the curtains. Oooh, and I love Ikea!

      Reply
  2. Pam says

    December 28, 2013 at 1:07 am

    I was planning on buying some shutters just like this, but when I saw the difference with the curtains I was amazed. This is such a splendid idea, I love it. Thank you so much for sharing!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 28, 2013 at 10:19 am

      Thanks, Pam! It’s amazing how much more light we have. I don’t think we’ve turned on the overhead lights during the day yet!

      Reply
  3. Inspire Me Heather says

    December 28, 2013 at 8:42 am

    The curtains do soften up the space, what a lovely window too – love the cabinets on either side!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 28, 2013 at 10:18 am

      Thanks, Heather! I love this window and our view, so I’m glad it’s not blocked by the shutters anymore.

      Reply
  4. Sharon says

    December 28, 2013 at 1:34 pm

    Normally I’m a big fan of plantation shutters, but I love the curtains! And having more light is always a plus.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      December 28, 2013 at 4:11 pm

      Thanks, Sharon! I agree – I really debated taking them down, but as soon as I saw how much light came in, I had to do it. The room looks twice as big, too.

      Reply
  5. Claire @ A Little Claireification says

    January 2, 2014 at 11:09 am

    I love how much more light is coming in! We had plantation style shutters in our old house and, while I liked them, you are absolutely right. It was very hard to get light in that room even with them opened! Looks fantastic! Happy New Year, Karen!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 2, 2014 at 11:26 am

      Thank you, Claire! I love them. Happy New Year to you, too! All the best!

      Reply
  6. Ann says

    January 2, 2014 at 12:20 pm

    We are in the process of lining up plantation shutter quotes. I was hoping to get something that rolls in front of the window for privacy (more like a bypass closet door system), but rolls completely off the window to allow in maximum light during the day. It will require a long valance to hide the roller track, and it may not be feasible, but your post confirms I will need to think outside the box (it is an ocean view). Thanks!

    I guess I am not looking for “true” plantation shutters, but more of a plantation shutter look.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 2, 2014 at 12:38 pm

      Wow – an ocean view – how gorgeous! I like the idea of having shutters that roll completely away from the window, to let in the maximum amount of light and to see that view. That could definitely work, but I agree that I’d keep as much of the window open as possible when you don’t need the shutters (or curtains or whatever) closed for privacy. Keep me posted – I’d love to see what you decide to do!

      Reply
  7. Julie says

    January 3, 2014 at 6:52 pm

    WOW! What a difference! I totally agree. The cool thing is, you can switch them back if you change your mind! We have plantation shutters in our bedroom. I love them, but hate the dust. They were way too expensive too. You made the right move girl! That window is gorgeous with out them!!! Bear looks just like Dude 🙁 Such a cutie.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 3, 2014 at 9:08 pm

      Awww, Dude! What a sweetie. Thank you! Yes – I kept all the frames, trim, and shutters, so I can put them back if we want. But you are right – I don’t miss the dust and I love the light. xoxo

      Reply
  8. Debbie refresh resytle says

    January 3, 2014 at 8:49 pm

    Beautiful, love the light!

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      January 3, 2014 at 9:07 pm

      Thanks, Debbie!

      Reply
  9. Melinda says

    June 28, 2019 at 8:57 pm

    Hi Karen,
    Where did you buy the dining set table & chairs? My cousin is looking for something similar to yours.

    Reply
    • Karen Cooper says

      July 27, 2019 at 9:01 pm

      Hi Melinda, I bought the table at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore – it’s Pennsylvania House and I got it for a song! The chairs are from Pier 1 from a million years ago. I recovered them in gray fabric. The end chairs are from HomeGoods. Here’s a link to the post about our dining room, and it links to how I recovered the chairs and what they looked like before. https://www.dogsdonteatpizza.com/farmhouse-rustic-industrial-dining-room/
      Thank you!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hi! I’m Karen. I call myself a “recovering lawyer,” because I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. This blog is all about DIY, home decorating, repurposing and upcycling, and organization. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home.




find projects here!

My Daybed in This Old House Magazine!

Daybed from Old Doors featured in This Old House Magazine
Best of 2016 - Best Blog DIY Category - thediybungalow.com

Disclosure

Dogs Don't Eat Pizza is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.  Dogs Don't Eat Pizza also participates in other affiliate programs.

To see my complete disclosure and privacy policy, click HERE.

About Karen

A "recovering lawyer," I turned in my power suits for power tools and a life of DIY. I believe in merging old and new to make a house a home. Read More…

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
© Copyright 2012-2021, Dogs Don't Eat Pizza, LLC (formerly The DIY Bungalow LLC).